Philosophy and Rugby Tackling Emotions

“Philosophy and Rugby: Tackling Emotions

Rugby is a close cousin of football (soccer), but it’s a far more “glocal” game. It’s played on every continent, yet it’s deeply rooted in some corners of the world while barely registering in the places right next door. Little wonder, then, that sociologists and anthropologists have taken an interest in it. Pierre Sansot and Anne Saouter, for instance, have explored rugby culture in Southwest France from an anthropological angle.

Philosophy has been a bit slower to join the scrum, though thinkers like Michel Serres and Catherine Kintzler have long been fascinated by this collective combat sport. Serres even argued that watching rugby gives us a window onto the deep workings of human nature: the tectonic plates that shape how we live in society and relate to the world.

And it’s easy to see why. Rugby, in all its beauty and complexity, raises real philosophical questions: how do the individual and the group fit together? How do justice and the law relate? It’s also a perfect illustration of Yves Vargas’s thesis that, in sport, the rule carries ontological value. That’s why work by former players who think about the oval ball game philosophically is especially valuable.

Themes of the Conference

The conference welcomes contributions from philosophy and from any discipline that can enrich the conversation. Proposals might explore, among others, the following themes.

Values, ethics and aesthetics

Rugby and values. Respect, solidarity, discipline and sacrifice are often presented as the soul of rugby. But are they genuinely distinctive of the game, or part of a flattering self-image? We invite reflections on how these values are built, transmitted and sometimes betrayed, on and off the pitch.

Rugby and ethics. Rugby constantly poses moral dilemmas: fair play versus winning, loyalty to the team versus respect for the opponent, the limits of physical engagement, the professionalization of an amateur ethos. What does it mean to play well, and to play rightly?

Rugby and aesthetics. A well-executed passing move, a perfectly timed support run, the collective collapse and rebirth of a maul: rugby has its own beauty. What makes a game beautiful, and how does that beauty relate to rules, risk and effort?

Rugby in dialogue with other sports, disciplines and perspectives

Rugby and other sports. What sets rugby apart from football, basketball, judo or other team and combat sports? Comparative approaches can illuminate the specificity of the oval ball game, from its relationship to space and contact to its distinctive way of balancing individual and collective play.

Rugby and sociology. Rugby is rooted in particular classes, regions, institutions and communities, and it shapes them in return. Contributions might address social identity, class, professionalization, clubs and local belonging.

Rugby and gender. Rugby has long been imagined as a masculine world, built around toughness, physical courage and brotherhood. Yet women’s rugby is among the fastest-growing areas of the sport, and it challenges many of those assumptions. We welcome reflections on masculinities and femininities, the history of women’s participation, inclusion and exclusion, the representation of gendered bodies in the media, and what the oval ball game reveals about how sport constructs and contests gender.

Rugby and anthropology. Building on the tradition of Pierre Sansot and Anne Saouter, we welcome work on rugby as ritual, territory and shared culture: the third half, the haka and other pre-match rituals, and the rites of initiation and belonging that bind players and supporters.

The body, mind, health and performance

Rugby and psychology. Fear, courage, aggression, motivation, team cohesion and decision-making under pressure are central to the game. How do players experience and regulate their emotions, and how do these dynamics shape performance and identity? This question connects directly to the conference theme, “Tackling Emotions.”

Rugby and performance. What does it mean to perform at the highest level? Performance in rugby involves training, physical preparation, tactics, data analysis and the pursuit of marginal gains, but also pressure, expectation and the constant measuring of the body. We welcome reflections on the limits of optimisation, the tension between performance and well-being, and the ethics of enhancement. The word also invites a broader reading: a match is a performance in front of an audience, in which players enact roles, rituals and identities.

Rugby and medical sciences. Rugby is a sport of intense physical contact, which makes injury prevention, concussion management, player welfare and long-term health major concerns. We invite contributions on the ethical, epistemological and practical questions raised by medicine in and around the game.

Rugby and mental health. Beyond the physical toll, what are the psychological costs and benefits of playing rugby? Topics might include stress, retirement from the game, depression, anxiety and the role of the team as a community of support.

Rules, power and learning

Rugby and refereeing. Referees are guardians of the rule and interpreters of the game’s spirit. How do they exercise judgment, authority and fairness in real time? Here rugby offers a vivid case study of the relationship between justice and law.

Rugby and violence. Rugby is a combat sport in which controlled violence is part of the game. Where does legitimate force end and abuse begin? We welcome reflections on regulation, risk, consent, masculinity and the transformation of aggression into play.

Rugby and education. Schools, universities and youth clubs use rugby to teach values and life skills. What can the sport teach about cooperation, responsibility, resilience and respect, and what are the limits and risks of that educational ambition?

Submissions

With all this in mind, the University of Évora is delighted to host the International Conference on Philosophy and Rugby, “Tackling Emotions,” on 25 and 26 May 2027. We warmly invite anyone drawn to either of these passions to join us in our beautiful, historic city. Together we can dig into these questions, and many others, and keep strengthening the dialogue between rugby and philosophy. 

Proposals for communications are open until 31 December 2026. We welcome proposals in both Portuguese and English. Since this is an international event, we encourage presenters to speak in English or, if they prefer to present in Portuguese, to provide handouts or slides in English, so that everyone can follow and take part in the discussions.

Please send us an abstract of 250 to 350 words, along with a short biographical note (100 words maximum). Presentations will run for up to 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute discussion, so there will be plenty of time for exchange.

Submissions should be sent to [email protected]

Join Us in Évora

With all this in mind, the University of Évora is delighted to host the International Conference on Philosophy and Rugby, “Tackling Emotions,” on 25 and 26 May 2027. We warmly invite anyone drawn to either of these passions to join us in our beautiful, historic city. Together we can dig into these questions, and many others, and keep strengthening the dialogue between rugby and philosophy.”

More info:

https://sites.google.com/uevora.pt/philosophy-rugby/p%C3%A1gina-inicial